Improving health and well-being independently of GDP: dividends of greener and prosocial economies.
Int J Environ Health Res
; 26(1): 11-36, 2016.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25670173
ABSTRACT
Increases in gross domestic product (GDP) beyond a threshold of basic needs do not lead to further increases in well-being. An explanation is that material consumption (MC) also results in negative health externalities. We assess how these externalities influence six factors critical for well-being (i) healthy food; (ii) active body; (iii) healthy mind; (iv) community links; (v) contact with nature; and (vi) attachment to possessions. If environmentally sustainable consumption (ESC) were increasingly substituted for MC, thus improving well-being and stocks of natural and social capital, and sustainable behaviours involving non-material consumption (SBs-NMC) became more prevalent, then well-being would increase regardless of levels of GDP. In the UK, the individualised annual health costs of negative consumption externalities (NCEs) currently amount to £62 billion for the National Health Service, and £184 billion for the economy (for mental ill-health, dementia, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, loneliness and cardiovascular disease). A dividend is available if substitution by ESC and SBs-NMC could limit the prevalence of these conditions.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Estado de Salud
/
Ambiente
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Producto Interno Bruto
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Environ Health Res
Asunto de la revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Año:
2016
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido